Jamie Carragher
James "Jamie" Lee Duncan Carragher (born January 28, 1978) is an English footballer who played as a defender for Liverpool F.C. from 1996 until 2013. Having made his debut as an 18-year-old in 1997, he amassed 737 appearances for the club and is second only to Ian Callaghan in the club's appearance charts. He has collected 11 pieces of silverware during his time at Anfield and is highly regarded by fans and pundits alike as one of the finest defenders in the history of Liverpool Football Club. He was voted seventh in the 2006 edition of the 100 Players Who Shook The Kop list and has twice been named Liverpool Player of the Year, in 2005 and 2007. On 7 February 2013- over 16 years after making his Liverpool debut- Carragher announced that he would be retiring from football at the end of the 2012-13 season, bringing to an end the career of one of Liverpool's most iconic figures. Liverpool career As a youth, Carragher attended the former FA school of excellence in Lilleshall and was a member of Liverpool's FA Youth Cup winning team in 1996 — a side that also contained his good friend Michael Owen. He signed a professional contract in October 1996 and then made his first team début three months later in the second leg of the Coca Cola Cup semi-final against Middlesbrough, coming on as a substitute for Rob Jones. Next came his Premiership debut, again coming on a substitute, against West Ham. He then started the next game against Aston Villa and marked the occasion with his first goal, scored in front of the Kop. By the following season Carragher was a regular in the first-team squad and by the 1998–99 campaign was considered a player of real promise - which led to his first full international cap towards the end of the season. Throughout his early years he was essentially used as a utility player, spending time as a centre-half, right and left full-back and defensive midfield. Because of this he would be deployed to fill in wherever there was a hole, ultimately harming his ability to hold down a first team position of his own. In 1999–00 he played mainly as a right-back, then in 2000–2001 he made the left-back position his own. By this time Carragher had become a firm fans' favourite for his determination, and "no-nonsense" style of defending.needed 2001 also saw Carragher gain his first senior trophies: the FA Cup, UEFA Cup, League Cup, Community Shield and European Super Cup. He hit the headlines in January 2002 during an FA Cup tie against Arsenal. A coin was thrown from the crowd, and Carragher inexplicably threw it back into the fans. He earned a red card and a disrepute charge from The Football Association. From 2002 till 2004 Carragher was hit by two serious injuries, firstly missing the 2002 FIFA World Cup for an operation on his troublesome knee and later due to a broken leg in the first half of the 2003-04 season due to a tackle by Blackburn's Lucas Neill at Ewood Park in the Reds' fifth game of the season. During this period, Carragher's place in the team was also threatened by signings of Steve Finnan and John Arne Riise. However, he succeeded in retaining his place in the team, making 24 appearances in the first half of 2004. The 2004–05 season was a career defining one for Carragher. New manager Rafael Benítez moved him to centre-half where he managed 56 appearances alongside Sami Hyypiä, forming what became one of the best central defensive partnerships in Europe. Carragher finally shrugged off the utility tag and established himself as a centre half. Carragher developed a reputation as a strong and positionally astute defender.needed. His partnership with Hyppia was central in Liverpool's 2004-2005 UEFA Champions League victory. One of the most memorable moments of the match was when Carragher made two vital last ditch intercept into extra time whilst suffering from cramp. Carragher was voted as Liverpool's player of the year at the end of the campaign. He later went on to captain in the team in their 2005 UEFA Super Cup victory when Liverpool won against CSKA Moscow in Monte Carlo. On May 13, 2006, Carragher played in the FA Cup final against West Ham. It was his tenth final in ten years of club football. In the 21st minute, Carragher rolled the ball into his own net after a strong cross from the Hammers' full-back Lionel Scaloni got caught under his own feet. Despite this Liverpool went on to win 3–1 on penalties after the match finished 3–3 after extra-time. On December 9, 2006, Carragher scored his first league goal since January 1999, in a match against Fulham at Anfield. His central defence partner Agger flicked the ball on from a corner, and Carragher slid the ball under Fulham keeper Jan Lastuvka at the far post, sparking wild scenes of celebration that displayed the Kop's admiration for the player. The goal was only his fifth in his Liverpool career. In Liverpool's Champions League semi-final second leg against Chelsea on May 1, 2007, Carragher set a record for the most appearances in European competition for the club. His 90th European match took him past Ian Callaghan's 89 matches between 1964 and 1978. After this match he was also named Man of the Match for his outstanding display despite suffering with cramp. Carragher was voted as Liverpool's Player of the Year for the 2006-07 season by the fans and soon after extended his contract till 2011. That season also saw Carragher's controversial international retirement, with the defender citing frustration with a lack of appearances under Steve McLaren. The 2008 season saw Carragher reach his 500th appearance for Liverpool, in a season in which he continued to be a first choice defender for the club. On 7 February 2013, Carragher announced that he would retire from football at the end of the 2012-13 season. Honours Liverpool *FA Cup: 2 (2001, 2006) *Champions League: 1 (2005) *League Cup: 3 (2001, 2003, 2012) *FA Community Shield: 2 (2001, 2006) *UEFA Cup: 1 (2001) *UEFA Super Cup: 2 (2001, 2005) Individual *7th in 100 Players Who Shook The Kop (2006) *6th in 100 Players Who Shook The Kop (2013) *Liverpool Player of the Year: 2 (2005, 2007) Stats External links * *Jamie Carragher's profile on liverpoolfc.com * Carragher Carragher